Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to an apparatus and method for pressurizing an automobile fuel system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for pressurizing an automobile fuel system using a pump and bladder system insertable into a filler neck of a fuel tank.
Prior to fuel injection becoming the primary method for admitting fuel to an automotive engine, automobiles were typically equipped with a carburetor and mechanical fuel pump mounted on the engine. Upon initiation of operation of the engine by the starter or while the engine is running, the fuel pump draws fuel (e.g., gasoline) from the fuel tank into a fuel line for use in the carburetor. Under typical operating conditions, the fuel line and pump remain primed such that a subsequent start-up of the engine is accomplished quickly and efficiently.
However, if the automobile remains idle for a period of several weeks or more, or runs out of fuel, the fuel pump and fuel line must be recharged with fuel. In small engine equipment, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, or the like, a primer button is provided to feed fuel from the fuel tank to the carburetor prior to actuating the engine. No such configuration is provided for automobile engines. The only way to recharge the fuel pump and fuel line is by running the engine with the starter motor for possibly several minutes or more. This can be difficult, particularly where the automobile has remained idle for an extended period of time, since the battery may not have enough charge to sustain actuation of the starter motor long enough to adequately recharge the fuel system.
It is therefore desirable to provide a fast and simple method of recharging the fuel pump and fuel line in an automobile without having to run the starter motor for an extended period of time.